Dispensing cabinet



Jan. 28, 1930'. E. 1.. CONDON 1,744,366

' DISPENSING CABINET Filed Oct. 26, 1928 Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNEST I. CONDON, OF BOSTON, DORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED AMERICAN SODA FOUNTAIN COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TION OF MASSACHUSETTS DISPENSING CABINET Application filed October 26, 1928. Serial No. 815,258.

' At soda fountains, particularly of the luncheonette type, lunch-counters, and other dispensing cabinets, it is highly desirable to display samples of food and to store small quantities of food at the counter where it may be closely viewed by customers and quickly served when ordered; and in most places it is required by law that such food be covered. Heretofore it has been customary to provide glass display cases on the counter slab, but this practice is unsatisfactory for the reason that the cases occupy too much counter spaceif broad and low, they obstruct the service if high and narrow, and their capacity is inadequate if both low and narrow. Objects of the present invention are to provide a dispensing cabinet having the display case so constructed and arranged that it has adequate capacity and at the same time neither projects above the level of the counter high enough to mitigate against quick and facile service, nor obstructs the counter surface in substantial degree, which also serves to obstruct the customers view to the wash trays, ice-cream and food compartments, etc., ordinarily located in the rear of the counter below the level of they counter slab, without substantially obstructing access to these compartments from the top, which maybe readily applied to dispensing cabinets of different styles without tools or skilled labor, which may be readily removed for cleansing, which will not damage or mar the counter slab i-n attaching or detaching, which may be securely mounted with substantially no danger of accidental displacement, and which is generally superior in construction and mode of application.

To these ends the display case is mounted on the cabinet to extend above and to the rear of the rearward edge of the counter slab, preferably with the front of the case substantially abutting the rearward edge of theslab at or near the bottom of the case. In order to permit unobstructed access to the compartments in the rear of the cabinet below the level of the counter slab, the display case may be mounted by means extending forwardly of the front of the case, as for example by a clamp fitting over the edge of the counter slab, at

least a part of the clamp projecting from the front of the case above said bottom.

Other characteristics of the invention will be evident from the following description of the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is an end view of a cabinet of the soda fountain type;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 8 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

The particular embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose of illustration comprises a cabinet having a compartment 1 for storing ice-cream and other food-stuffs with openings in the top, such as shown at 2 and 3, for access to the food-stuffs, a cover 4 hinged at 5 and 6 to open into the brokenlineposition shown at7,a front wall oropaque riser 8, a counterslab 9 mounted on the front wall 8, and a display case 10 mounted at the rear edge of the slab 9 for storing sandwiches and other food-stuffs for display over the counter.

The preferred form of display case shown in the drawings comprises a front 11, a bottom 12 and an incline glass top 13. As shown in F ig; 3 the front and bottom are preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal, the upper end of the front being bent rearwardly to form a support for the glass top and the rear margin of the bottom being bent downwardly and then inwardly, as shown at 14, to stiffen the bottom and form a finish at the exposed edge. The lower edge of the glass top is held in position on the support by means of a strip of metal 15 having a flange =16 overlapping the glass top and having its lower portion 17 bent forwardly at rightangles to overlap the counter slab, the forward edge of the part 17 preferably being bent downwardly to form a rounded edge 18. The parts 11 and 15 may be secured together in any suitable manner as by'soldering or welding. The upper edge of the inclined glass top is supported by means of two strips 19 and 20 with a spacer 21 soldered or welded to the upper strip 19 and screws 22 extending through the lower strip and threading into the spacer 21. The parts 19 to 22 are supported at suitable intervals by posts 23 in the form of rods which have reduced lower ends extending through the bottom 12 and bracket 24 to receive nuts 25 thereon. For cases of ordinary length two posts are suflicient, one at each end of the case, thus leaving the back entirely open. As'shown in the figures the ends of the case are also open but it will of course be understood that the ends may be closed if desired.

A preferred scheme for mounting the dis play case at the rear edge of the counter slab 9 comprises a bracket at each end of the case formed of strap material and having avertical part 26, a horizontal lip 27 overlapping the top of the slab, a horizontal portion 28 extending forwardly under the slab in spaced relation thereto, another horizontal part 2 1 extending rearwardly from the vertical part intermediate its ends in Contact with the bottom of the case, the part 24 having an opening to receive the lower end of one of the vertical posts 23, a wing-screw 29 threaded through the part 28-and bearing against a clamping head 30, the screw 29 preferably being interlocked with the head 30 so that the head will not fall off when the case is removed from the counter-slab while'permitting free rotation of the screw in the head. As shown in the drawings the case is secured to the brackets by means of screws 81 extending through the front 11 and threading into the vertical parts 26 of the brackets, as well as by the nuts 25 threading on the lower ends of the posts 23. It will be understood that openings are cut in the front 11 and plate 15 to accommodate the lips 27.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the invention comprises a unique relationship between the display case and the counter slab wherein the display case extends above and to the rear of the rearward edge of the slab, the case being mounted in this position in such manner that the space beneath the case in the rear of the slab is free for access to the openings in the top of the cabinet 1 and other parts of the top of the cabinet 1 as shown in Fig. 1. As shown in the figures the display case is preferably mounted with its front substantially abutting the rearward edge of the counter slab so as to leave the top of the slab substantially free for normal counter use. The invention is also characterized by means projecting forwardly from the front of the displaycase for detachably mounting the case over the rearward edge of the counter slab, although it will be understood that in the broader aspect of the invention the display case may be mounted in this position in other ways.

According to this invention the display case is so mounted that its contents are readily accessible to the waiter without substantially impeding his access to the top of the cabinet underneath the case or the counter over the case and the top of the counter is substantially unobstructed by the case.

From the foregoing it will be evident that the vertical portion 26 of the bracket constitutes a trunk from which branches 27 and 28 extend forwardly to engage the counter and 24 extends rearwardly to support the case.

I claim:

1. A display case for attachment to the rear edge of a counter slab and a bracket having upper and lower portions extending forwardly from the front of the case to fit over and under said edge respectively, the lower portion projecting sufficiently to counteract the downward tipping tendency of the rearwardly projecting case.

2. A display case for attachment to the rear edge of a counter slab and a bracket having upper and lower portions extending forwardly from the front of the case to fit over and under said edge respectively, the lower portion projecting sufliciently to counteract the downward tipping tendency of the rearwardly projecting case, and the bracket having an integral portion extending rearwardly under the case.

3. A supporting bracket for mounting a display case on a counter slab comprising a trunk, upper and lower portions projecting from said trunk over and under theedge of the slab respectively, and a portion projecting from said trunk in the opposite direction for supporting the case.

4. A supporting bracket for mounting a display case on a counter slab comprising a trunk, upper and lower portions projecting from said trunk over and under the edge of the slab respectively, and a portion pro ecting in the opposite direction from said trunk intermediate the levels of said upper and lower portions for supporting the case.

5. In combination a dispensing cabinet.

having openings in its top for access to food compartments therein, a counter slab spaced above the level of said top, a longitudinally extending opaque riser extending upwardly from said cabinet at the top of which said slab is mounted, and a display case extending to the rear of said slab at approximately the level thereof in juxtaposition thereto, whereby the display case serves not only to display food without substantially obstruction counter space or access to said openings but also serves to obstruct customers views to said top. 1

6. A cabinet having a longitudinally extending opaque riser extending vertically therefrom, a counter mounted at the top of said riser and extending rearwardly therefrom over said cabinet, and a display case mounted at the rear of said counter and forming a continuation thereof.

Signed by me at Allston, Mass, this 23rd day of Oct, 1928.

ERNEST L. CONDON. 

